This invention relates to the automatic cleaning by vacuum of locations in the automatic weft insertion area of a loom, in particular, to those types of looms that are commonly referred to as shuttle-less looms or weaving machines.
In the process of weaving, the filling thread or weft must be inserted through the warp threads. This can be accomplished in many different methods. Filling thread can be inserted by shuttle, projectile, or other methods. Recent developments use waterjets or airjets to power the insertion devices.
In all these methods the action of inserting the weft or filling thread causes a great deal of friction on the thread as it passes through various thread tensioning devices and thread guides prior to reaching the automatic insertion device. This friction creates a hostile environment and causes a lot of fly or loose fibers to be generated in the insertion area. Also, at the insertion device the normal lubrication system creates a heavy oily mist. The loose fly and the oily mist combine to produce an oily loose fly that causes many problems.
Most importantly, when the oily loose fly settles on the insertion device, thread guides, tension guides, and thread, it is sometimes woven into the fabric causing defects known as oil spots or filling spots.
Heretofore, it has been a common practice to use compressed air to blow off this insertion area with the loom stopped and sometimes with the loom running. This solution causes as many problems as it is designed to solve, by blowing the oily fly into the already woven fabric, thus causing defects.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,546,799 discloses a device for cleaning the weft insertion area of a loom which utilizes air blown over the parts desired to be cleaned. Other patents which are typical of the art, wherein air or compressed air is blown on the parts to be cleaned, include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,315,529, 4,230,158, and 3,491,801.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,812,251 shows an automatic system for removing lint from textile looms by blowing air in a cyclic manner.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,604,466 and 2,984,263 disclose various devices for cleaning parts of a loom by vacuum.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum cleaning system for the automatic insertion area of weaving machines which cleans and removes fly or loose fibers generated in the weft insertion area, thus reducing the problems occasioned by loose fly and oily mist heretofore experienced.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a vacuum cleaning system for the automatic insertion area of weaving machines which utilizes a minimum amount of energy yet provides a balanced cleaning of a number of weaving machines at one time.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a vacuum cleaning system for the automatic insertion area of weaving machines which is simple, energy efficient, and may be readily moved out of the way for working on the parts being cleaned.